Training for professionals

Supporting children to use language: developing verbal language skills in the primary years

Some children struggle to give an organised account of information they have heard, or ideas they want to share. This can leaving them at a disadvantage as they move through school and when developing literacy skills.
This course is primarily for Key Stage 1 teachers and teaching assistants who want to know how to support expressive language in a structured way, through day-to-day interactions and activities in school. The approaches we consider are suitable for all children.
The session is delivered by an experienced speech and language therapist and covers:

• How you can give children the best chance to develop their verbal expression.
• Stages of narrative development to allow you to identify difficulties and target support.
• Frameworks to support verbal language development relating to typical class activities.

What is the course for?

To give primary school teaching staff information on best practise for developing verbal language skills in all children and an opportunity to plan how they will implement this in their classroom.
This training is not about children who have developmental language disorders or English as an Additional Language. It is intended to enhance classroom practices to support children and identify if further specialist support is needed.

How long is the course?

Usually one session of 3 hours

Who should attend?

Teachers and teaching assistants in key stage 1 (although some information will be relevant for supporting children in the Early Years and KS2). All staff attending the session will learn strategies they can use to support verbal language skills, but the training will be most effective if the staff who attend have the authority to implement the approach within their classroom setting.

Which children will it help?

The approach we take is appropriate for all children in primary school and covers development of verbal language skills, such as sentence building, sequencing language and narratives to facilitate consideration of levels of support required for children’s needs. This is not, however, a replacement for specialist assessment of children who have language difficulties or advice on specific therapies for individual children.

Can we offer it as INSET?

Yes, this course works well as a whole team session. For the approach to be implemented successfully we recommend that teachers and senior leaders attend the training alongside other members of the staff team. Please contact us if you are interested in having the training delivered in your school.

Supporting Children with Speech Sound Difficulties

Many children develop speech sounds easily but some can struggle to use the right sounds when they talk. This can mean that it can be difficult for others to understand what they say and can affect how positive an experience talking is for them.

This course is for education staff who want to know how to identify and support difficulties with speech sounds in their day-to-day interactions and activities at school.

The session is delivered by an experienced speech and language therapist and covers:

• Typical and atypical development of speech sounds.
• What to consider to help individual children.
• When is referral to Speech and Language Therapy needed and how do we work together?
• Adapting classroom assessment for children with speech difficulties.

What is the course for?

• To give an understanding of typical speech sound development.
• To plan how support for speech sound development can be implemented in settings.
• To identify when a child’s speech development needs further investigation.
• To consider how to manage the impact of speech sound difficulties supportively.
• Knowing how speech sound difficulties can be supported by a primary partner in a child’s daily life.

How long is the course?

Usually one session of 2.5 hours

Who should attend?

Teachers and teaching assistants in early years and key stages 1 & 2.

Which children will it help?

The approach we propose is appropriate for all children in early years and primary school settings. We will discuss differentiation of vocabulary according to children’s needs. Bear in mind that this is not a specific session about children who have broader language difficulties.

Can we offer it as INSET?

Yes, this course works well as a whole team session.

For the strategies to be most successful, we recommend sharing these with other members of your staff team. Please contact us if you are interested in having the training delivered in your setting.

**Please note that this is a combined and updated version of both ‘Teaching Vocabulary in the Early Years/Primary School’ previously offered (i.e. it does not include substantial changes to content)

Speech, Language and Communication for SENCos in the Primary Years

This free session is aimed at both new and experienced SENDCos who would like to know more about speech, language and communication (SLC) development and difficulties, and how to support these in your setting. The session is delivered by an experienced speech and language therapist and includes a brief overview of SLC needs and their impact, with video examples and discussion. You will also have the opportunity to look through a large number of resources that are available – many of these are free and online.

The example resources will cover a number of topics:

• Development of speech and language and identifying SLC needs
• Quality first teaching for SLC needs and universal support
• Considerations for Targeted interventions
• Teaching spoken language and curriculum resources
• Whole school strategy for speech, language and communication
• Early years and working with parents

What is the course for?

• To develop skills in facilitating your staff group to identify and support SLC in your setting, considering strategies for all children and when to step up support for individual children.
• To consider best evidence for targeted interventions in your setting.
• To develop an understanding of when specialist support from speech and language therapy needs to be considered (and what information is required to make a referral).
• To give SENDCos an opportunity to become familiar with resources, training and websites that may be useful in your setting.

How long is the course?

One single session of three hours

Who should attend?

SENDCos or staff in a similar role in primary or secondary education

Which children will it help?

We aim to offer advice and signpost to resources that could benefit all children, including those with identified SLC needs.

Can we offer it as INSET?

This session was not developed with a whole setting team in mind, but please feel free to contact us if you are interested in something similar for your staff group.
We can also provide this training for groups of SENDCos or a network of settings.

Supporting Children to Learn Vocabulary

Many children pick up new words easily but some can struggle to develop a wide vocabulary, leaving them at a disadvantage as they move through school. This course is for education staff from early years through to KS2 who want to know how to teach vocabulary in a structured way through day-to-day interactions and activities in school. The approach we use is suitable for all children.

The session is delivered by an experienced speech and language therapist and covers:

• Which words are the most useful for you to focus on teaching?
• How can you give children the best chance to learn new words?
• How can you fit a systematic approach to teaching vocabulary into your existing planning?

What is the course for?

To give education staff a structured way of teaching vocabulary to all children and an opportunity to plan how they will implement this in their setting.

This training is not about children who have specific vocabulary difficulties and it does not provide advice on assessing or delivering intervention for language difficulties. It provides an evidenced method for vocabulary teaching to all children and guidance on the most valuable vocabulary to target.

How long is the course?

Usually one session of two and a half hours.

Who should attend?

Teachers and teaching assistants in early years and key stages 1 and 2.

Everyone attending the session will learn strategies they can use for teaching vocabulary, but the training will be most effective if those who attend can be involved in implementing the approach across their whole team.

Which children will it help?

The approach we propose is appropriate for all children in early years and primary school settings. We will discuss differentiation of vocabulary according to children’s needs. Bear in mind that this is not a specific session about children who have broader language difficulties.

Can we offer it as INSET?

Yes, this course works well as a whole team session.

For the approach to be implemented successfully we recommend that teachers, EY leads and senior leaders attend the training alongside other members of your staff team. Please contact us if you are interested in having the training delivered in your setting.

Speech, Language and Communication for Early Years Leads and SENDCos

This free session is aimed at both new and experienced Early Years leads and SENDCos. It covers speech, language and communication (SLC) development and difficulties, and how to support these in your setting. The session is delivered by an experienced speech and language therapist and includes a brief overview of SLC needs and their impact, with video examples and discussion. You will also have the opportunity to look through a large number of resources that are available – many of these are free and online.

The example resources will cover a number of topics:

• Development of speech and language and identifying SLC needs
• Universal strategies for SLC support
• Considerations for Targeted interventions
• Teaching spoken language and EYFS resources
• Whole setting strategy for speech, language and communication
• Working with parents

What is the course for?

• To develop skills in facilitating your staff group to identify and support SLC in your setting, considering strategies for all children and when to step up support for individual children.
• To consider best evidence for targeted interventions in your setting.
• To develop an understanding of when specialist support from speech and language therapy needs to be considered (and what information is required to make a referral).
• To give SENDCos an opportunity to become familiar with resources, training and websites that may be useful in your setting.

How long is the course?

One session of three hours.

Who should attend?

Early Years Leads, SENDCos or staff in a similar role in early years settings

Which children will it help?

We aim to offer advice and signpost to resources that could benefit all children, including those with identified SLC needs.

Can we offer it as INSET?

This session was not developed with a whole setting team in mind, but please feel free to contact us if you are interested in something similar for your staff group.

We can also provide this training for groups of SENDCos or a network of settings.